Edgard Agius
2014 candidate for City of Charles Sturt.
Heritage survey responses.
What do you think Council's role is in protecting and conserving heritage?
I am of the opinion, That council has a duty of care to protect and conserve it's local heritage. Council's role would be to establish historical value and start a consultation process to also give the ratepayers a say and how the process would progress. It is important to consult with the ratepayers especially if significant funds are involved as this might be an additional burden on them the ratepayers.What measures and incentives do you support to protect and conserve local heritage?
As number 5 above, but would also support State and Federal Governments Grants or sponsorships to minimise the financial burden on ratepayers.What is the most important heritage protection issue in your local government area?
At present the most recent would be the Beverley Brick Kilns, being in my Ward, I have an additional special interest and I have already attended a couple of community meetings about the protection of this local Heritage and I am part of the sub committee to consult with the residents and use the consultation process and do the home work so to speak so that we are better informed what action we need to take for the preservation of this most important local Heritage.What policies and programs will you advocate to protect and conserve heritage in your local area?
As a council we have policies and the City of Charles Sturt supports conservation and protection of Local Heritage, I say local as per whitin our boundary because that is our responsibility. I personally have a special attachment to Heritage, places of historical value that teach us so much about our past, how far we came in the present and how we can plan for the future. As a child in Malta, my father was an authority in archeology and Malta has Archeological places older than the Egyptian Pyramids, Roman Villas, Christian Catacombs and is basically a treasure trove of culture and history. I grown up to appriciate the value of Historical Heritage.Do you support local Councils retaining development approval powers for projects over $3m in value?
As it stands councils has an independent entity called the DAP Development Assessment Panel of which I am a Panel member in the City of Charles Sturt. The Panel is represented by Independent and elected members as an independent entity from council the DAP in my opinion Is functioning well. The Status Ouo is the only devil I know.Do you have any other thoughts about the protection of heritage in your Council area?
If we do not protect it we lose it, once it is gone it is gone forever. Our local Heritage is what makes our City of Charles Sturt what it is today. There is a story to be told so let's make sure that the physicalities of that story are protected for future generations to come.